February 13, 2026

When I was a kid Easter was always by far the most boring of the holidays. Halloween had candy and costumes. Thanksgiving had the delicious food that you only had once per year. Christmas was a season of yummy treats, fun movies, holiday traditions, presents, and church events that highlighted the celebration. Even my birthday had a lot of exciting build up for days leading to the celebration! But Easter was sort of just a day. Sure, we had Easter baskets with surprises and treats to look forward to. We had an occasional egg hunt. We also got to pick out some new clothes for church. But by-in-large, Easter was just a day. It arrived, it was enjoyed, and then it was over and we moved on to the next thing.

I want Easter to be different. I want it to be different for me, my family, and for our church family. The resurrection of Jesus was the THING that the Father, Spirit, and Son anticipated from before the beginning of time. The resurrection was the thing that Jesus pointed his disciples toward (though they didn’t perceive it at the time). The resurrection was the single event in human history that no one expected. It was the proof of Jesus’s claims securing salvation available for all people.

Luke 9:51 says this:

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

I love the way The English Standard Version says that Jesus “set his face” toward Jerusalem. That phrase has a punch. When you resolutely set your face toward something, you are confidently setting out on a journey with grit, power, and determination. That’s powerful! Jesus was heading to Jerusalem where he would spend the final weeks of his life. The cross and resurrection were near at hand.

What would it look like for you, your family, and for WOCC to set our faces toward Easter? To take this lead-up-to-Easter season as an opportunity to approach our relationship with Jesus and his mission with grit, power, and determination.

What is Lent?

The word “lent” comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning “Spring.” To observe Lent is to take part in a practice that is almost as old as the Christian faith itself. Very generally, Lent refers to the roughly six-week period right before Easter, which Christians set aside for fasting, prayer, and preparation for the celebration of Jesus’s resurrection. The practice goes back to the second and third centuries AD as the Church began to organize the practice of calling Christians to prepare for Easter. This isn’t a practice I grew up with. However, I love what the practice is meant to instill in us: Hopeful, repentant, thankful, and worshipful preparedness.

Why does it matter?

As apprentices of Jesus who are being formed in his image for the sake of others… we want to submit ourselves to a season of prayer and fasting and preparation. We want to decisively walk the road that Jesus himself walked by preparing our hearts for his death and resurrection, anticipating what God is going to do in us and through us.

One of the ways White Oak wants to help you do this is by giving you access to a daily devotional. This devotional will come to you via text message each day (Mon-Fri) beginning February 18 (the start of Lent). This can be a tool that you utilize to intentionally prepare your heart, mind, and body for the season ahead. Below is how you can sign up to receive the daily devotion called Setting our Faces: A Journey Toward the Cross and Resurrection.

Easter is more than just a day. It’s a season (and lifestyle) of us setting our faces resolutely on apprenticing ourselves to Jesus as we celebrate the cross and resurrection.

Preparing,

Nathan

Nathan Hinkle

Lead Pastor

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